The Racial Dot Map plots a dot for every resident of Grand Rapids and beyond, and colors it based on their race and ethnicity as reported in the 2010 U.S. Census.Courtesy of the University of Virginia

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A “Racial Dot Map” based on the 2010 U.S. Census shows at a glance the racial diversity – or lack thereof – in Grand Rapids and across the country. University of Virginia researcher Dustin Cable plotted a dot on the map for all 308 million-plus Americans and colored it based on their reported race and ethnicity.

For Grand Rapids, the map shows the most racial integration on the near West Side as well as north of the Gerald R. Ford Freeway east of Division Avenue. It also shows a solid concentration of Hispanics along a stretch of Grandville Avenue SW and U.S. 131 and west of 131 around Division Avenue and Burton Street, a core of African-Americans from Division to Fuller Avenue between Burton and Wealthy Street, and a predominantly white populace in most other areas.

Outside of Grand Rapids the map shows pockets of racial integration through Wyoming and Kentwood. At left is a snapshot of the map for the Holland/Zeeland area.

Roy Cole, a professor in Grand Valley State University’s geography and planning department, called the map “a wonderful teaching tool” and said he plans to use it to help students understand the racial breakdown of the U.S. populace.

“This provides a good visual to the residential segregation in the United States,” said Cole, who lives in Holland. “It just conforms to a general pattern in America that the areas around the older parts of town tend to be occupied by lower-income immigrants and poorer people who in this country tend to be (racial and ethnic minorities).”